Professors Koscielniak and Shimon Publish New Book on Theatre Design Technology

Congratulations to Professor Lynne M. Koscielniak and Associate Professor Jonathan Shimon on the publication of their new book Bringing Set and Costume Designs to Fruition: Made by Teams, co-authored with Jennifer Dasher, Assistant Professor of Costume Design in the College of the Arts at The University of Florida.

https://www.routledge.com/Bringing-Set-and-Costume-Designs-to-Fruition-Made-by-Teams/Dasher-Koscielniak-Shimon/p/book/9781032108384

Bringing Set and Costume Designs to Fruition: Made by Teams dives into the collaborative working relationships between set and costume designers with their technical counterparts throughout the theatrical production process, from concept to execution.

The authors define set and costume designers as those that render environments and characters for a wide array of performative events; and explain how skilled artisans and technologists bring these visions to life. This book explores the dynamic between those who decide what the set and costumes should look like and those who make them work, including scene designers, costume designers, scene shops, and costume shops. The book discusses how to identify resources, ask the right questions, and engage in healthy collaborations. Following these fundamentals are practical activities and interviews with industry professionals that demonstrate how these skills can be applied to a broad range of productions and other avenues for creative design and production.

Bringing Set and Costume Designs to Fruition: Made by Teams was named a must-read for May 2023 by Playbill.  They describe the book as:

Three designers in the costume, set, lighting, and scenery fields come together to create this breakdown of the creative process, from concept to construction. With a focus on the teamwork between designers and scene/costume shops, the book is an in-depth guide to bringing designer’s visions to life. 

Professor Koscielniak intends for the book to be a meaningful read for those who work in collaborative art-making at all scales, and levels of resources. For emerging practitioners, she hopes this book offers insight into the wide range of career possibilities available to visual storytellers who have roots in theatrical design practice.

Lynne M. Koscielniak (she/her) is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 in the set and lighting design categories, and a Professor of Theatre in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University at Buffalo. Lynne’s work has been seen both regionally and internationally, including at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space and at World Stage Design Expositions. Select honors include an emerging designer residency at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Michael Merritt Scholarship for Excellence in Design and Collaboration, and a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Gold Medallion Award for extraordinary contributions to the teaching/producing of theatre. Lynne received her BA from Buffalo State College, SUNY and holds an MFA in Stage Design from Northwestern University.

Jonathan Shimon (he/him) is an Associate Professor of Theatre Technology in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University at Buffalo and an Associate Trainer for The Chicago Flyhouse. His specialties include industrial hygiene for theatre, scenic automation, structural design and analysis, rigging, material labor estimation, and management. A certified theatrical rigger and recognized trainer through the Entertainment Technician Certification Program, Jon was selected to be the Technical Director for the US entries in the 2019 Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space. Jon received his MFA in Technical Production from Florida State University.